Members of the Leneghan Irish Dancers perform Monday at the General Member Meeting of the Irish American Club Eastside in Euclid.

For the past 35 years, people of Irish heritage have been learning how to speak Gaelic and step dance at the Irish American Club East Side in Euclid.

But, realizing the future of the club has moved further east, board members are making an effort to eventually relocate the club to Lake County.

For many years, board members have noticed more and more of their roughly 1,600 members were located in Lake and Geauga counties. And now, the club is planning an event to reintroduce itself to the counties.

"On May 3rd we're having an event called Corks and Kegs at St. John Vianney in Mentor," said club president Linda Burke. "It's going to be a choice of a wine tasting or a beer tasting. It's really to recruit Lake County people to become members of the club because eventually we plan on moving there."

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As the saying goes, everybody is a little Irish on St. Patrick's Day.

"If you want to wear a green hat and drink green beer before sunrise on St. Patrick's Day you don't need a club, you need a designated driver," said Maureen Kelly, Lake County Clerk of Courts and a longtime club member.

In a nation founded by immigrants, heritage clubs like the Irish American Club provide a link to their family histories for Americans.

"My parents were Irish-born, and they found great comfort in finding people from home," Kelly said. "I think my folks instilled in me an appreciation that heritage is important. They wanted me to understand the place from which they came."

The club, Kelly said, is a connection to that family history. Members can learn Gaelic, take traditional dance classes, be a part of the fife and drum core, and utilize the Irish library.

The club's stage also often hosts the Cleveland Irish Players, who perform plays by Irish playwrights that aren't necessarily widely shown in the U.S., Kelly said.

At the May 3 event, Burke said they're encouraging current members to bring a friend so new people can learn what the club is about.

"It's about knowing your heritage, your culture and your family. It's like one big family here," said Burke, who has been a member since 1984. "Once you join here you really become part of the family. It's kind of like "Cheers," everybody knows your name. I love everything that's Irish. I go to Ireland every year. I'm passionate about the music, and I love watching the dancing and everything.

"It kind of gets in your blood."

Former club president Michael Coyne said the idea of moving to Lake County has been tossed around before but the membership didn't support it.

Such a move would be beneficial because that's where the younger generations moved to in search of jobs and more housing options, he said.

"Most ethnic clubs are going through the same situations. The generations are slowly losing what our parents and grandparents had for us," he said. "I'm second generation, my kids are third generation. My dad was from Ireland, and he was proud of being Irish and being American. The first thing my dad did when he got here was join the American Navy. ... When you get together and see where roots are from, that's nice."

Kelly said the club's move could also benefit Lake County in terms of marketing and tourism, noting the club frequently hosts Irish entertainers, making it a focal point for many national touring acts.

Director of the Ohio Celtic Festival Patrick Coyne, no relation to Michael Coyne, said Lake County just makes sense for the club. As a member and former president, he said he's excited about the move because he'd like to start an Irish football league.

"It's a combination of rugby and soccer, but in terms of the field is roughly 80 meters wide by 100 meters long," he said. "There are 15 players on each side."

Finding a new location with a bit of land would make a league possible, Burke said, adding it would also be a draw for younger members.

Leaving the Euclid building on Lake Shore Boulevard will be difficult, she said, adding the building isn't the club "the members are the club. We're a family."